This invention relates in general to disposable paper containers or cups.
Schools, hospitals and other like institutions charged with the responsibility for serving food to large numbers of persons are faced with the ever increasing cost of labor associated with food preparation and service. The goal of serving wholesome food products, without risk of contamination, at reasonable cost may best be realized by minimizing food handling. In hospitals, for example, where dietary control and food quantity intake are of essential importance the advantage of using pre-prepared food products prepared under carefully controlled conditions for direct service from the original containers in which the food products are stored is readily recognized. The present invention is concerned with the aforedescribed general problems.
Accordingly, it is the general aim of the present invention to provide an improved disposable all-purpose container which may serve both as a package for a pre-prepared food product and as a serving container for the food product. A further aim of the present invention is to provide an all-purpose container for a product which may be stored in a frozen condition or under refrigeration to be served cold or which may be heated in the container by a microwave process or in a conventional convection oven to be served hot or in a warm condition. Yet another aim of the invention is to provide such a container which may be employed as a package for a dried or dehydrated product which is activated by adding hot or cold water or other liquid to the product while the product remains in the container and which may then be served in the container in either hot or cold condition.
In accordance with the present invention, a disposable all purpose container assembly is provided which includes a container formed from polymer coated paper and has a generally circular bottom wall and a frustoconical sidewall. A raw edge of the sidewall blank from which the sidewall is formed is sealed with low density polyethylene tape which also enhances the bond between overlapping ends of the sidewall blank at the sidewall seam. The sidewall includes an integral annular rim which coaxially encircles the upper end of the container and defines a circular opening at the upper end. A saddle-like insulation attachment straddles an associated portion of an outer surface of the sidewall and is mounted in fixed position on the sidewall outer surface. The insulation attachment has a plurality of spaced apart ribs which extend along and project from the inner surface of the insulation attachment and engage the sidewall outer surface. The ribs and portions of the sidewall outer surface and the insulation attachment inner surface define air spaces between the container and the insulation attachment. The attachment is disposed solely to one side of an axial plane through the container and may include a handle formed by two handle sections integrally connected to the insulation attachment. In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the attachment may comprise a frustoconical ribbed sleeve which is received on and coaxially surrounds the container sidewall and defines a pair of handle sections for optional use. The selective use of polymers having both high and low melting temperatures enables the use of a wide range of polymer coating materials for coating the interior surfaces of the containers.